Written Answers Monday 18 October 2010

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the future of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board.

Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3O-7682 on 3 September 2009. The answer to the oral parliamentary question is available on the Parliament’s website, the official report of which can be viewed at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0903-02.htm - Col19277.

Agriculture

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the holiday rights outlined in Agricultural Wages in Scotland: Fifteenth Edition: A Guide for Workers and Employers can be passed directly from grandparent to grandchild.

Richard Lochhead: No. The rights outlined in the guide apply to all agricultural workers covered by the wages order and are not assignable to any other party.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses will be built under the National Housing Trust.

Alex Neil: The Scottish Government anticipates that the first phase of the National Housing Trust (NHT) initiative will allow around 1,000 additional affordable homes to be built. However, the precise number of homes built will depend on the number of suitable tenders put forward through the current NHT procurement process.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much capital will need to be raised by local authorities under the National Housing Trust.

Alex Neil: The amount of capital that each participating local authority will have to lend for the National Housing Trust (NHT) initiative will be dependent upon the number of homes which will be provided by those developers who are successful in the NHT procurement process and the purchase price of each home, which will vary according to the location and type of housing provided.

  Local authorities will lend funds to pay 65 to 70% of the purchase price of each NHT home in their area once each phase of housing is completed.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average level of rent will be for homes built under the National Housing Trust.

Alex Neil: The level of rent for homes procured through the National Housing Trust (NHT) initiative will start at 80% of the current relevant local housing allowance rate in each area. At this level they will be affordable to those on housing benefit even after the reductions due next year. Rents are expected to increase by the Consumer Prices Index plus 1% each year.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for how many years it will guarantee local authority funding under the National Housing Trust.

Alex Neil: Each guarantee to local authorities under the National Housing Trust (NHT) initiative will last for 10 years from the date the homes are completed and purchased by an NHT special purpose vehicle (SPV) or until the point when the local authority’s loan to an SPV has been repaid in full, where that happens before the end of the 10 year period.